Latil

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Latil tractor

Latil was a French commercial vehicle manufacturer from 1914 to 1957.

history

Latil Forestier tractor from 1937 for use in forestry
Latil truck of the Wehrmacht during the launch of a balloon in World War II

Auguste Georges Latil (1878–1961) has been involved in vehicle construction since 1898 and was a pioneer of front-wheel drive. In 1914 he founded the Compagnie des Automobiles Industriels Latil in Suresnes in the southwest of Paris . Before that, the company existed in Paris from 1898 to 1902 under the name Korn et Latil . From 1902 to 1914 the company was called Ateliers Charles Blum and was based in Levallois-Perret .

From 1914, Latil built his first self-developed motor vehicle tricycle with front-wheel drive in Suresnes. The company specialized in the construction of tractors and trucks with four-wheel or all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering. Charles Blum helped him as a financial partner and Alois Korn, who perfected the Avant-Train system, was responsible for the innovative development . In the following period from 1914 onwards, many four-wheel drive trucks were produced for the French army. From 1933 onwards, Latil also used V8 engines, and delivery vans with an 11 CV four-cylinder engine were built at the time. The first cab-over with 4-7 t (COE = Cab over engine / without hood) built Latil 1935. The company also produced wood gas plants and LPG plants for all types of fuels and commercial vehicles. The subsidiary in Brussels also produced the Latil Traulier type with 4 cylinders, 3668 cm³ displacement and all-wheel drive.

Not originally designed for this use, Latil tractors were also from the early 1930s to the towing of barges used. The “Tracteurs Latil” had four-wheel drive and, since all four wheels were steerable, they could turn on a 3.6 m wide path. In addition to diesel-powered vehicles, Latil also builds towing tractors with electric motors that draw power from overhead lines .

Latil tractors were temporarily copied in England by Shelvoke & Drewry under license under the Trauliers brand . During the Second World War, Latil built tractors for MAN .

After the war, Latil renewed its extensive truck program, whereby the 6x6 vehicles were always innovative. In autumn 1955, Saviem emerged from the merger of Latil with the commercial vehicle division of Renault , SOMUA and Floirat under the leadership of Renault.

Sources and literature

Web links

Commons : Latil  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gérard Bianchi: Les Cahiers du Musée de la Batellerie. La traction mécanique sur berge en France . Association des amis du Musée de la Batellerie, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine 2015, ISBN 2-909044-69-6 , p. 63 ff .